COVPASS certificate with CDC Card?
 

This is probably very much in the realm of speculation, but does anyone have an opinion of whether the digital vaccination certificate for the COVPASS app that is soon going to be rolled out could also be issued by showing proof of a vaccination performed outside of Germany (with an EU-approved vaccine, of course)? The way I understand the process after reading some articles is that participating pharmacies could initiate and request the issuance of an electronic certificate that could be stored in the app upon being shown proof of vaccination, which for vaccinations having been given in Germany over the past few months would typically be the yellow vaccine booklet.

The scenario I'm wondering about is that as a dual citizen living in the US and having been vaccinated here, I plan to visit family in Germany this summer for the first time since the pandemic started. For immigration and quarantine purposes, it seems the CDC card I have (as well as a state-issued certificate) would be fine to verify my vaccination status so that I would not have to quarantine and generally can do anything a person living in Germany who has tested negative or recovered could do. However, while I expect / hope that any person performing checks at the airport would be familiar with the CDC card, I'm much more doubtful about it being accepted as proof of vaccination (when required) in smaller towns, especially given that right now the only people carrying such cards in Germany would mostly be expats / dual citizens such as myself due to the entry restrictions for non-EU citizens. Being able to obtain a COVPASS digital certificate would certainly seem to make things easier.

If this is indeed possible (i.e. if there isn't a general requirement that the vaccination had to have been performed in Germany, rather than "just" a requirement that the pharmacy needs to be able to verify that the vaccination with a EU-approved vaccines has occurred), I guess it might be best to look for participating pharmacies at airport locations after this begins to roll out next week.

The app appears to be out, but not available in US app stores, just like the Corona Warn App (that also has the digital pass feature):

https://digitaler-impfnachweis-app.de

(there are workarounds to get it installed, and maybe it will get officially released more broadly soon)

I am planning to try to get my CDC or WHO card “converted” into a digital cert soon. I’ll update this thread if no one else reports back with results. I suspect, though, that it will be very much a case of YMMV and depend on the flexibility of the pharmacist you talk to,

If the information (screenshots, FAQ) on

https://digitaler-impfnachweis-app.d...at-ausstellen/

is accurate, the registration system doesn’t ask for any information that our US cards wouldn’t provide. But I still need to look at the documentation in more detail.

Thanks for responding!

Yes, that was my impression after reading through some of these websites and articles, too, but it's clearly an outlier case, so *should work* and *will work* are entirely separate things. If I end up trying during my first trip next weekend, I'll report back, but since it's only a short visit, I may leave this for a second, longer trip in August.

I suspect there won’t be too many pharmacies set up by next weekend (and those that can do it will be overrun):

https://www.dw.com/en/germany-introd....../a-57840431

But if they really get €18 for each certificate, that would be a nice source of revenue (and profit) for them.

So this app will be used for going to bars and restaurants? From what I read, it's for Germans who have been vaccinated and in their system - and that is still in a state of chaos. I'm sure (at least for the short term) that the CDC card I have to bring with me won't be accepted - either for the app or by the venues that require vaccination.

Looks like I may be limited to take-away and delivery at the hotel again.

It depends on the state and/or county, I think. I just checked the rules for the area that I will be visiting soon, and case numbers are low enough that no vaccine passport or recent Covid Test result is required for dining. I believe they still require you to provide your contact info for potential contact tracing. Not sure if the Corona Warn App provides support for that or if it is still all paper-based.

There is talk about using the digital certificate to allow access for concerts, museums, and it is also supposed to be usable for EU travel.

We’ll probably start to see “reports from the field” soon. I am planning to run experiments with my CDC card, but I also today got my Covid shots recorded in my US yellow vaccine passport. With a real stamp from the county health department ;)

The app/QR code just supplements the paper/digital test/vaccination records. No one will deny you service because you don't have the code, so time to take a chill pill.

Ok, my first attempt at getting a digital vaccination certificate was successful. I gave the pharmacist my WHO immunization card (*) and my CDC card and walked out with my two QR codes.

I was surprised that I actually got two certificates, one for each shot with different QR codes. But the Covid Warn app happily accepted both. Now I need to find a place where I can actually use it. Will they want to scan both QR code’s, or just the one for shot #2?

You can search for pharmacies in Germany that issue the digital certificate using this website:

https://www.mein-apothekenmanager.de

(*) I had my shots added to my yellow vaccine passport at my local county health department.

Interesting under What Rules Apply for Fully Vaccinated People they want

5 The name and address of the person or institution responsible for vaccinating the person

6 Confirmation in written or electronic form with the qualified electronic signature or qualified electronic seal of the person who carried out the vaccination; if for administrative reasons this is not possible, a suitable format such as a stamp or state symbols should be used to clearly identify the responsible person or institution There’s no space on the little CDC card for this information. Who issued the shot, yes. Their address, not so much. And #6, yeah how’s that happen. https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/f...ed-people.html

I wouldn’t worry about it.

I downloaded the Swiss government’s digital vaccine pass check app (the German app isn’t in the US app stores). It considers my QR codes invalid due to the signature not being recognized (it does show my name and DOB). So much for interoperability, unless it is really a problem with my digital pass. Will have to find someone with a German App Store account to try the German verification app.

Yes you need both certificates! One for shot 1 and the second for shot 2. You need as many certificates as shots are need to get the full immunization. The only vaccine that needs only one shot is Johnson&Johnson. If you got Johnson&Johnson you would get only one certificate.

IMHO you where successful because you used the international yellow vaccination booklet. This is an official document which is used for decades. Most people forget that this booklet is also used to show you yellow fever vaccination which is still mandatory in some countries! So most pharmacists, doctors and even border control agents are quite familiar with this document.

About interoperability. The system is still rolled out and it will take until end of June to be fully operational (especially connecting non EU-countries like Switzerland which has their own system).

Might be useful:

https://www.army.mil/article/247734/...ate_in_germany

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...68256dbe2b.jpg

That would explain why a CDC card is no problem :)

Double check the documents once you have them. My two certificates are not correct as on one they inverted my name and surname. Thus they do not match between each other and the apps do not recognize both.

Very helpful information. Thanks for posting this.

No worries, they or another pharmacy will happily issue a new one and bill the German government for another €18 ;)

Yes, it makes sense, but the official website and news reports only talk about the certificate (singular).

https://digitaler-impfnachweis-app.de

I found a pharmacy newsletter that mentioned that it is one QR code for each shot. And in the meantime I validated my app’s QR codes with the official German check app, and the digital pass is valid. Scanning the QR code for shot 1 of 2 results in an error indicating that it isn’t proof of full vaccination.

I also used the digital code via app IRL, at a hospital. Seems I was there first one ever to show up with it judging by the looks on their faces. And they just looked at the QR code and the name and DOB shown in the app. No validation via a scan app. No ID check. Oh well ;)

Sure but I discovered it just this evening and I am leaving for Spain tomorrow morning. This would have been convenient if working, I will redo it once I am back.

Crap, that is inconvenient. Are you going via a major airport like FRA or MUC that has a pharmacy?

And yes, I did make sure the data on the paper looked correct before leaving the pharmacy, With US documents there is always the chance they mess up the dates (reading 3/1/2021 as January 1, 2021).

Enjoy your trip!

FRA has a pharmacy in Squaire and I will pass there so maybe I will try again tomorrow there.

The link supplied also provides indications on how to deal with some of the common problems in getting the pass to work with CDC cards.

It wasn’t too many months ago when the pace of vaccinations for US personnel in Germany was frustratingly slow, but the latest frustration turned to how to get us CDC card users in Europe to be accommodated on the basis of the CDC card. Amusingly, I’m still working out for how to deal with this for my personal purposes without going to Germany to get it done reliably and without any risk of frustration. :D

I tried this last Friday at a participating pharmacy in a small town in southeastern Bavaria. I had just arrived that day and needed to go into town anyway so I thought I'd give it a quick try before the stores were closing without worrying too much about the outcome. I provided my CDC card and passport. The lady working in the front took both documents and said she'd have to check with the owner/boss who'd make the decision on whether to accept the CDC card as sufficient proof of vaccination. After a few minutes she came back, apologized, and said he'd told her that they'd only accept documents issued in other EU countries, not the US. I'm sure that I could have either pressed my case or tried other pharmacies and eventually been successful, but I didn't want to spend any more time on this during my short trip. I'll probably try again during a longer trip in August, though the only time I needed to show proof of vaccination during this past trip was to check into a hotel, and the CDC card was readily accepted for that.

T1 and T2 have branches, too:

https://metropolitan-pharmacy.com/frankfurt/?lang=en

Note that due to the current low case numbers no one really checks your status anywhere, so getting a covpass thingie to show may be nice but there is no imminent urgent need. Lufthansa will only be able to scan it to check your status in mid July, so it is also of limited use for travel.

I haven’t seen the actual UI the pharmacies use to capture the data, but the pharmacist who issued my digital certificates told me something along the lines of “I couldn’t choose the US as the vaccination country, so I entered Germany”.

The certs have a field “Member state of vaccination” - see picture at

https://user-images.githubuserconten...ef4a74719b.jpg

My certs show DE for that field, so I assume that’s what she was referring to.

If you look at the manual for pharmacies here: https://digitaler-impfnachweis-app.d...sanleitung.pdf

Its literally 6 fields they have to fill out: first/last name, dob, type of vaccine, second or first shot, date of vaccination. Thats it. No country, no nothing.

Yeah, I posted about the manual/screenshots earlier in this thread.

I have not seen the actual UI, and it wouldn’t surprise me if the screenshots are mock-ups created by product management that aren’t in sync with the actual implementation. And I may have misunderstood the pharmacist handing me the certs - German with a Russian accent through an FFP2 mask can be tricky. But my best interpretation and recollection of what I heard is what I said above.

In any case, if rejected by one pharmacy, I would just try it at another one. There seem to be plenty offering the service.

Just a data point :

I had one vaccine done in the US (CDC card), and the 2nd dose done at my local doctor in Germany (WHO/OMS yellow booklet, with CDC stapled in by my doctor).

Went to the pharmacie and the person issued the two certificates, in and out in 3 minutes.

Where is this ?
Frankfurt ?

It seems like only the Apotheke in Berlin and Munich are familiar ?
I've emailed a few Apotheke in Frankfurt and they said that it's only for EU citizens or people vaccinated in the EU.
Perhaps if I just go in person once I've arrived in DE, it'll be different ?

I got vaccinated 2x in Canada with Pfizer.

I got my own digital certificate done in a small town pharmacy hundreds of kilometers from Berlin or Munich. See earlier post.

I happened to visit another pharmacy in a different town nearby just yesterday and asked “for a friend who got his shots on the US” if they would issue the certificate based on the US vaccine card. No, they said, they only issue certificates for people who got vaccinated in this area. Not even someone from a Munich would get it from them, they said. Makes no sense, but clearly this is very much a case of HUCA (or walk out, try again).

I'm located in the suburbs of Frankfurt/Main. The pharmacist took a cursory glance at my national ID card (I have primary residency in Germany) to make sure it matched the passport, but that's it.

My hunch it that each country participating in the scheme is responsible and allows just its residents and citizens. Its main purpose wasn't directed for non-Schengen/particpating citizens or residents, although I'm sure down the road the CE might try and do reciprocity agreements. It could be more difficult for an outside tourist who got both doses outside the EU, because the pharmacist essentially has the burden of verifying the authenticity of the vaccination record, something risk-averse Germans don't willingly do.

By the way, in over a week I haven’t actually see a place that was set up to scan my digital pass. Shops and restaurants don't require it. I have used the digital pass a couple of times at a hospital that required either a negative Covid test or proof of vaccination, but they only “visually inspected” the barcode (and didn’t even ask for ID to compare with the name shown by the app). Today I will try to use my CDC card in that setting.

Would love to know how this works. Will be in Germany in early August, 2 X Pfizer in Canada myself

Just arrived in Munich today and got my CDC card accepted at a local pharmacy at Munchner Freiheit.

I too, walking around Marienplatz did not see anyplace requesting the application, but I did see one place at the Munich airport in the quad area between the terminals that was requesting the QR code.

Did you have any issue getting the digital impfpass ?
Or was it basically just , go into Apotheke , present CDC card, they enter details , no question asked , and voila ?

If you don't mind, if you visit that square again soon, could you pop in and ask if a Canadian receipt would be accepted ?

It's very similar to the CDC card, except we don't have stamps/signature/barcode , just State symbol.

One last question:
Did you fly direct to Munich or (direct to Germany) ?
Was it enough to just show the CDC card to the airline checkin and boarding agent ? No PCR tests ?

I'm from Canada too and scheduled to fly to Frankfurt mid July.
Would love an "on field" report from any fellow canadians ! :)

Only issue I had was when they told me it needed to be ordered, as they are not doing it yet. I figured it was a miscommunication and showed them the app and the image posted here about how to get the certificates.

They then realized it was just for the certificate only, and asked for my card and passport. They input all the data, verified it with me it was correct (US date formats confuse them) and even used my phone to scan in and verify it all went in correctly. They did trip on on "Pfizer" so I told them it was "Pfizer/BioNTech" and they happily complied.

She told me to hold on to the paper certificates, as they can be reused in case the phone gets lost or replaced. They are proof of vaccination just like the CDC card is, and should be kept safe.

So no. No hassle at all. Some locations may be a bit less liberal about accepting the CDC card, but just hit up another one if you do.

Unfortunately I am not visiting there again, as I head out of town Monday morning. Today is Sunday, so Germany's closed. They did not ask me my nationality, though that would be on my passport. She simply asked me for the vaccination card and passport prior to knowing where I came from.

The pharmacy is in the U6 Munchener Freiheit station, it's the first thing you see going up the stairs from the platform. It's called "Apotheke Zur Münchener Freiheit"

For the trip:
I showed up at LAX with a PCR test, vaccination card, and an essential worker letter. United wanted to see both the test and vaccination card. My connection to Germany out of Chicago was on Lufthansa, and they wanted to see my docs too, but they wanted my passport and a vaccine card or recent test, no need for both.

German passport control also asked for vaccine proof or a recent test, they also said one or another is good, did not want to see both. Whether this is because I am a US citizen or not may have made a difference. For a Canadian, I don't know. If your country is not on any special restriction list, I'd guess you would be fine.

The hotel also checks- if you show them proof then they note you are not subject to quarantine, and you can go on your merry way.

My CDC card is a joke. It just contained my name, birthdate, the date of the vaccinations, the type of vaccine "Pfizer" and the lot number. Location was written as "CSUN" (one of the local drive through mass-vaccination sites) and everything on it was handwritten. No barcodes, stickers or stamps. California also has a digital record I can get (I had a copy of that too) but I never showed it to them.

I think we are in the confusing first days of the rollout. No one directed the pharmacies to accept or reject foreign cards, it's up to the local store. How long that will last is anyone's guess.

rworne Thanks for the detailed account of the trip!

So would you say that if in Chicago , when Lufthansa asked for your "passport ...and....(vacc proof OR pcr test)" and you chose just vacc proof showing that CDC card, then it would've been enough ?
Was this trip before or after the June 20th travel-ban removal ?

It's strange that United demanded Vacc Proof AND Test too.
Even in TIMATIC it would've said either-or.

Lufthansa said either. United did not demand both, they asked for both, I do not know what they would have done if I only had one of the two. I used their app prior to checking in online and had uploaded all the docs back then. The agent noted I was already checked in and saw I just wanted to check my bags. So they did the doc check again and issued me paper boarding passes when they took my bags.

Also, this was the counter agent at the terminal prior to security who checks in anybody going anywhere. The Lufthansa agent was the gate agent, whom I would assume knows better.

But yes, Lufthansa and German passport control want either a recent test or vaccination, not both..

:D Sorry, i don't understand.
If they (United Airlines) asked for both, that would be "demanding both" no ?